Young Woman By The Sea 1886

Curator: Alfred Stevens painted this "Young Woman By The Sea" in 1886, using oil paints to capture a fleeting moment. Editor: She's wistful, isn't she? Like she's waiting for something… or someone. There’s a softness to it all, a cloudy sort of feeling, even though it seems like she’s dressed for an afternoon promenade. Curator: I think you’re right, the soft brushwork really lends to that dreamy feel. Stevens had an eye for detail, though, even with his loose style. Look at the way he renders the fabric of her dress – you can almost feel the silk. But then there is that red umbrella; it looks so unnatural and garish for that dreamy world. Editor: I’m drawn to the umbrella. I am guessing that object of burgeoning consumer culture provided stark a contrast in materiality. I mean look, on the one hand we have these gorgeous couture items and on the other, industrial mass production. Curator: Perhaps it’s that tension, right? I can imagine him thinking deeply about that. Her dress, too, hints at wealth. There are so many tiny textures rendered with oil: frills, flowers, ribbons, necklaces, clasped tightly with delicate kidskin leather gloves that look impossible to move or breath in. It must have been a labour of constraint, for both painter and subject! Editor: Yes, there are contrasts galore in these artworks! I also can't help thinking about the labourers behind her attire too, that were probably being exploited or marginalized for cheap labour to get her couture dress at a bargain price in late 19th century Paris. The consumption hides some ugly truths! Curator: Precisely, and Stevens was no fool: he wanted us to ponder beauty alongside some serious topics and concerns! Now, how much was posed for, how much imagined, what price art should or can offer some salve or comfort - who's to say! Editor: True. It reminds me how even beautiful objects have this hidden context of process, production, materiality, which adds a complex perspective for what it means for who wears them and who makes them too. Thanks for sharing!